The invention relates to a process for the manufacture of aroyl acetic esters with almost quantitative yields.
The synthesis of some benzoyl acetic acid esters is already known (U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,407,942 and 2,367,632). However, the yields achieved are in the region of only 40 to 70%. The yields are low particularly when the phenyl nucleus is unsubstituted or is substituted by a substituent of the first order (G. Fodor, Organische Chemie, VEB Deutscher Verlag der Wissenschaften, Berlin, 1965, page 383).